Possible Cheap USB CNC Machine?

[Luke122]

Anyone here seen/heard of the "Cricut"? (http://www.cricut.com/Default.aspx?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1)

It's a product aimed at scrap bookers, to cut out shapes/text from paper or similar thickness materials. I saw the infomercial last night, and instantly started to think of possibilities.

Apparently there is a community out there who are trying to hack the device to use it as a USB CNC machine. With a purchase cost of under $150, a potential software hack makes this thing VERY appealing to me.

I'm waiting to see if someone actually does manage to hack it, then I'll pick one up for sure.

You could cut vinyl with it, or even copper sheeting to make your own circuit boards! Use a vinyl mask for etching patterns, etc.

Thoughts?

[Bopher]

I've seen these in Wal*Mart. I would love to get one for my wife because she likes to scrapbook. They run $180 for the basic system and $300 for the more advanced one. If it could be hacked and still used normally i would defintely be looking into this. Off to the google!

[b4i7]

hmm...i think i have an idea...

[FrooP]

hmm.. i think i need money..

[p0Pe]

i think i need more hacking skills...

[Omega]

well it isn't cheap, but at my school we took a normal mill and put stepper motors on it and programmed it through the computer we have next to it. got a touchscreen, and that computer controls the CNC lathe and CNC Mill at the same time. It's smexy.

[blueonblack]

My wife does the scrapbooking thing, and has one of these. She loves it, I have seen it in operation and it is very impressive. As for cutting other materials I don't see why it wouldn't work with the right cutting blade. It takes cartridges with different fonts and designs in them so it has some input versatility already, I'm sure the right people could make this happen. :D
________
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[Bopher]

All of the forums that I've read through have people going nuts trying to figure it out. Everybody seems to be focusing on either the USB port and the carts. Some people are ripping the carts down and trying to figure out how to rewrite the chips.